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A critical piece of the private jet that plunged into a Florida neighborhood was found miles from the impact site, federal investigators revealed Tuesday as crews prepared to drain the crater left by the crash that killed nine people.
Asked about the crash occurring less than 10 miles from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and any potential connection to Secret Service operations, National Transportation Safety Board member Tom Chapman dismissed a link.
“There is no evidence of connection. Purely coincidence,” he said.
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Most of the Learjet 60’s left elevator was recovered between 1.3 and 3.8 miles from the crash site in Palm Beach County, Chapman said during the agency’s final onsite briefing.
The discovery adds to evidence that the aircraft began breaking apart before impact. The elevator is a movable surface on the aircraft’s tail that helps control whether its nose points up or down.
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But Chapman said he did not believe the component would have enabled the aircraft to recover even if it had remained attached, given the speed of the jet’s descent.
The Learjet was carrying seven passengers and two crew members from Austin, Texas, to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas when it crashed Sunday, killing everyone aboard.
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Investigators are now preparing to remove water from the impact crater, where Chapman said they expect to recover additional aircraft components. Given the force of the crash, pieces buried there will likely be small.
Severe weather has hampered some recovery efforts, and weather remains a key focus of the investigation. The cause of the crash has not been determined.
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Investigators have also obtained dashcam footage to help reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments, Chapman said. Recovered wreckage is being retained for analysis, and officials urged anyone who encounters debris to leave it untouched and notify authorities.
The crew had reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence while flying at about 35,000 feet before requesting permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds after controllers approved the request, the crew reported they were descending and issued a mayday call.
Roughly 600 residents near Military Trail and Cresthaven Boulevard were evacuated after the crash, according to The Palm Beach Post.
Between 40 and 50 people were staying at the Greenacres Community Center, Palm Beach County spokesperson John Jamason told the outlet. County officials were seeking state funding to help displaced residents with housing and transportation while authorities worked at the crash site.
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Officials said during Tuesday’s briefing that Military Trail remained closed in both directions between 10th Avenue North and Purdy Lane. They did not provide a timeline for reopening the road or allowing displaced residents to return home.
Among those killed were Austin technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, and their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2.
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Robinson, CEO and co-founder of Retention.com, had celebrated a business milestone in his final LinkedIn post the day of the crash, announcing that RB2B had reached $10 million in annual recurring revenue. He was also preparing for a live business debate scheduled for Tuesday.
“Adam and Helen were devoted parents, and Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were the light of their lives. Helen and Adam were the love affair that will last forever,” the families said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
“Their warmth, generosity and gift for making people feel welcome touched so many lives. Their loss will be felt deeply by all those who loved them and who they loved in return.”
Chapman expressed confidence that investigators would determine what happened and thanked Florida and Palm Beach County authorities and first responders for their assistance.
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Officials added that further investigative updates will be posted on the NTSB’s website.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
